More first-time mums are electing to have their babies born via caesarean, research has found.
A new report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found 30 per cent of mothers giving birth for the first time were choosing to have a C-section, according to 2018 figures.
That's compared with 25 per cent of new mothers choosing to undergo the procedure in 2004.
The institute found caesareans were more common among women giving birth in a private hospital, at a rate of 40 per cent, compared to public hospital, where one-in-four women elected it.
Rates of new mothers undergoing a caesarean in the ACT increased to 28.5 per cent in 2018, but is still below the national average.
"Some of the factors in helping to keep the ACT below the national average have been through providing continuity of care to approximately 30 per cent of women accessing maternity service," an ACT Health spokeswoman said.
Meanwhile, the number of new mothers electing a natural birth has continued its steady decline over the past decade, falling from more than 50 per cent in 2004 to almost 44 per cent in 2018.
The report found 86 per cent of mothers who had already undergone a caesarean for their first birth had the procedure again for their second child.
Smoking rates among women during the first 20 weeks of their pregnancy has fallen to 9.2 per cent, down from a high of almost 13 per cent more than a decade ago.
Smoking during that period of the pregnancy was more common among mothers under the age of 20, at more than 30 per cent.
In the ACT, smoking rates among pregnant women had fallen and was still below the national average.
"During the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, about 6 per cent of ACT resident women who gave birth during 2018 smoked during pregnancy," an ACT Health spokeswoman said.
"ACT Health would like to see this continue to decrease."
A smoking cessation program undertaken by ACT Health has led to a 10 per cent drop in the number of pre-term births in Canberra.
The number of mothers seeking out antenatal care in the ACT has also been on the rise, with more than half seeking support.
However, that rate is the lowest of any state or territory.
Tasmania recorded the highest rate of mothers seeking care before birth, at more than 87 per cent of new mothers.
Women giving birth who were under the age of 20 were the least likely to access antenatal care in the first trimester of their pregnancy with more than 30 per cent not seeking out the support.
"Antenatal care in the first trimester is extremely important for women of all ages, and while much of this is accessed privately in the ACT, particularly through general practitioners, there are a number of public services available to meet this need," an ACT Health spokeswoman said.
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